When harvesting trees as in a timber or pulp wood operation, the trees are cut by sawing or shearing, leaving stumps, or else the entire tree is pushed over using a bulldozer and the like. The equipment for carrying out such operations is expensive and the ground is left full of stumps, or torn up to such an extent that replanting operations are hindered thereby.
Tree pulling devices have been tried heretofore, but the difficulty has been primarily in getting a grip on the tree which will not slip when exerting the considerable force necessary to uproot the tree from the ground. Further difficulty is encountered in carrying away a tree once it has been pulled up, roots and all. U.S. Pat. No. 2,618,871 illustrates a stump lifter which employs a blade for severing underground roots and then exerting a lifting force. Such apparatus is incapable of pulling and carrying away an entire tree, and the blade is used for severing the roots rather than obtaining a grip upon the tree to permit uprooting of the tree.
A tree puller is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,075 wherein the entire tree is extracted by gripping the trunk and cutting the roots all around prior to exerting a lifting force upon the tree.
It is an important object of this invention to provide an inexpensive attachment which may be utilized upon any desirable working vehicle, preferably a front end loader or the like, for uprooting and carrying away an entire tree.
Another important object of the invention is to provide an attachment for a working vehicle which is capable of carrying out tree harvesting operations or tree removal operations, such as the removal of old trees from an orchard so as not to disrupt the ground or leave stumps, roots and limbs which would impede a replanting operation.
Another important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus capable of achieving an effective grip upon the trunk of the tree just above the top roots sufficient to permit operations to uproot the entire tree. The grip exerted by devices constructed in accordance with the present invention permits the tree after being pulled to pivot backwardly to facilitate removal of the tree from the area, yet maintains a shelf-like grip in the adjacent compressed wood which avoids stripping of the outside fibers of the tree causing slippage with consequent loss of gripping force.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a maneuverable device for utilization in pulling trees so as to facilitate a selective cutting operation where minimal damage to adjacent trees is required.